Recently, Google has made things even more challenging for the rehab industry by banning ads for this niche. Combined with a significant increase in competition, it’s more difficult than ever to improve organic, local, and mobile rankings. Despite these evolving challenges, there are alternative ways to make improvements and stay ahead of your competition.

With more conversions happening right within the search results, a great strategy is focusing on optimizing your Google My Business listing. This listing is the only place within Google that you can directly control what your audience is seeing. From posts to Q&A, potential clients can interact and engage with your drug rehab center in unique ways. In this post, we uncover unique ways to take advantage of your Google My Business Listing.

What is Google My Business?

Google My Business is a search engine tool that allows you better manage how you appear in various Google search options, including Google Maps and the local 3-pack. Like many of Google’s tools, it’s free to use, but you do have to claim your business listing and make some updates to ensure all the information is accurate. Some basic components of your listing include:

Offical Business Name

Business Address

Operating Hours

Contact Information, such as a phone number.

A Google My Business listing can be a powerful marketing tool for business of all types, but especially for alcohol treatment facilities. Not only are you able to control what information is displayed in Google, but you can also interact directly with your audience.

With new features such as Questions & Answers, reviews, and messaging, customers can reach out directly to ask questions, leave reviews, or interact with your brand in other ways.

These listings are incredibly important for local searches as well. When users are looking for a treatment center in a specific location, Google My Business listings can appear directly in the search results, within the local 3-pack, or on Google Maps. As searchers do their research, there are many opportunities for your listing to appear throughout the first phase of the buyer’s journey.

Tips for Putting Google My Business to Work for You

Google My Business isn’t just a static listing. You can leverage tools on the page to create relevant and enticing information for potential clients. Below are a few tips for taking advantage of Google My Business as a drug rehab center.

Leverage the Questions & Answers Function

All Google users now have the ability to leave a question in the Q&A section on your listing. While you certainly want to be careful how you answer questions on your page – and you certainly can’t address individual treatment concerns in a public forum – the Q&A function can let you put would-be clients and families at ease by being as transparent as possible about treatment methods.

Knowing what to expect in treatment can help someone make the final decision to seek rehab. A kind, knowledgeable answer to one person’s question may prompt others to reach out to your facility while showcasing your excellent support skills.

A few best practices for the Q&A feature include:

Tasking someone within your organization with ensuring any questions are answered fully, appropriately and within a short amount of time

Hosting question and answer sessions with different subject-matter-experts from your organization right on the Google My Business listing

If someone asks a question that is better answered privately, you can direct them to the right phone number of email to handle it directly.

Leverage Messaging to Promote Conversations

You can configure messaging from your Google My Business listing to an app (Google offers the Allo messaging app which can be accessed through a web browser) or a smartphone to encourage individuals to reach out immediately for information or assistance.

For drug rehab centers, an immediate contact option is important to provide. Someone who is looking for assistance with addiction may not reach out again, and they may become discouraged if they can’t find an easy way to contact someone. At the same time, do work with compliance experts to understand whether the relevant messaging apps and services are compliant with HIPAA before you put them to use discussing protected health information.

Publish Posts to Share Important News

Finally, you can publish content directly to your Google My Business listing with Posts. Each post allows you to share a message, link out to other pages, and post an eye-catching graphic. There are many different types of posts including news, events, promotions, etc. A few tips for treatment centers include:

Providing tips for knowing when to seek rehab

Encouragement for seeking rehab

Links to your on-page articles or blog posts

Staff bios, especially if you have a specialist of note

Events and group meetings to increase attendance.

Highlight major news updates such as moving locations or acquiring a new building.

By putting these tips to work, you can make your Google My Business listing stand out online from the competition. For more tips and ideas for leveraging your Google My Business listing, contact one of our local rehab SEO experts today.